392 



NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



[No. 181. 



from that of the possibility of its purely sponta- 

 neous combustion. (See Tayloi-'s Medical Juris- 

 prudence, pages 424-7. edit. 1846.) W. W. T. 



Muffs worn hy Gentlemen (Vol. vi., passim; 

 Vol. vii., p. 320.). — The writer of a series of papers 

 in the New Monthly Magazine, entitled " Parr in 

 Lis later Years," thus (vol. xvi. p. 482.) describes 

 the appearance of that learned Theban : 



" He had on his dressing-gown, which I think was 

 flannel, or cotton, and the skirts dangled round his 

 ankles. Over this he had drawn his great-coat, but- 

 toned close; and his hands, for he had been attacked 

 with erysipelas not long before, were kept warm in a 

 silk muff, not much larger than the poll of a common 

 hat." 



In an anonymous poetical pamphlet (Thoughts 

 in Verse concerning Feasting and Dancing, 12 mo. 

 London, 1800), is a little poem, entitled "The 

 Muff," in the course of which the following lines 

 occur : 



*' A time there was (that time is now no more, 

 At least in England 'tis not now observ'd ! ) 

 "When muffs were worn by beaux as well as belles. 

 Scarce has a century of time elaps'd, 

 Since such an article was much in vogue; 

 Which, when it was not on the arm sustain'd, 

 Hung, pendant by a silken ribbon loop 

 From button of the coat of well-dress'd beau. 

 'Tis well for manhood that the use has ceased! 

 For what to woman might be well allow'd. 

 As suited to the softness of her sex, 

 Would seem effeminate and wrong in man." 



William Bates. 



Birmingham. 



Crescent (Vol. vii., p. 235.). — In Judges, 

 ch. viii. ver. 21., Gideon is recorded to have taken 

 away from Zeba and Zalmunna, kings of Midian, 

 *' the ornaments that were on their camels' necks." 

 The marginal translation has " ornaments like the 

 moon;" and in verse 24. it is stated that the 

 Midianites were Ishmaelites. If, therefore, it be 

 borne in mind that Mohammed was an Arabian, 

 and that the Arabians were Ishmaelites, we may 

 perhaps be allowed to infer that the origin of the 

 use of the crescent was not as a symbol of Moham- 

 med's religion, but that it was adopted by his 

 countrymen and followers from their ancestors, 

 and may be referred to at least as far back as 

 3249 B.C., when Zeba and Zalmunna were slain, 

 and when it seems to have been the customary 

 ornament of the Ishmaelites. W. W. T. 



The Author of " The Family Journal " (Vol. vii., 

 p. 313.). — The author of the very clever series of 



Sapers in the New Monthly Magazine, to which 

 Ir. Bede refers, is Mr. Leigh Hunt. The parti- 

 cular one in which Swift's Latin-English is quoted, 

 has been republished in a charming little volume, 

 full of original thinking, expressed with the felicity 



of genius, called Table Talk, and published in 1851 

 by Messrs. Smith and Elder, of Cornhill. 



G. J. De Wilde^ 



Parochial Libraries (Vol. vi., p. 432. &c.). — I 

 fear that there is little doubt that these collection? 

 of books have very often been unfairly dispersed. 

 It is by no means uncommon, in looking over the 

 stock of an old divinity bookseller, to meet with 

 works with the names of parochial libraries written 

 in them. I have met with many such : they appear 

 chiefly to have consisted of the works of the Fathers, 

 and of our seventeenth century divines. As a case 

 in point, I recollect, about ten years since, being 

 at a sale at the rectory of Reepham, Norfolk, con- 

 sequent upon the death of the rector, and noticing 

 several works with the inscription " Reephara 

 Church Library " written inside : these were sold 

 indiscriminately with the rector's books. At this 

 distance of time I cannot recollect the titles of 

 many of the works ; but I perfectly remember a 

 copy of Sir H. Savile's edition of Chrysostom, 

 8 vols, folio ; Constantini Lexicon, folio ; and some 

 pieces of Bishop Andrewes. These were probably 

 intended for the use of the rector, as in the case 

 reported by your correspondent Cheveeells 

 (Vol. vii., p. 369.). 



I may also mention having seen a small parochial 

 library of old divinity kept in the room over the 

 porch in the church of Sutton Courtenay, near 

 Abingdon, Berks. With the history and purpose 

 of this collection I am unacquainted. 



NoBEis Deck. 



Great Malvern. 



Sidney as a Christian Name (Vol. vii., pp. 39. 

 318.). — Lady Morgan the authoress was, before 

 her marriage. Miss Sidney Owenson. See Cham- 

 bers' Encyclop. of Eng. Lit., ii. 580. 



P. J. F. Gantillon, B.A. 



''Rather" (Vol. vii., p. 282.). — The root of 

 the word rather is Celtic, in which language raith 

 means "inclination," "on account of," "for the 

 sake of," &c. Thus, in the -line quoted froiA 

 Chaucer, 



" What aileth you so rathe for to arise," 



it clearly signifies " what aileth you that you so 

 incline to arise," and so on, in the various uses to 

 which the comparative of the word is put : as, I 

 had rather do so and so, i. e. " I feel more inclined;'''' 

 I am rather tired, i. e. " I am fatigued 07i account 

 of the walk," &c. ; I am glad that you are come, 

 the rather that I have work for you to do, i.e. 

 " more on account of the work which I have for 

 you to do, or for the sake of the work," &c. Any 

 obscurity that is attached to the use of the word, 

 has arisen from the abuse of it, or rather from its 

 right signification being not properly understood. - 



Fbas. Cbosslet, 



